The big F…FEAR
Writer’s coach and regular guest blogger Leda Sammarco is back with some more excellent advice for aspiring writers:
One of the things that can hold writers back is fear. Here are some of the most common fears and ways to overcome them.
‘It’s all been said before.’
Yes it has, probably by Socrates or some other writer or philosopher down the ages. There is nothing new in the world. It is your experiences, the way you see the world and how you express yourself that is different. When you allow the real you to shine on the page you’ll find your readers.
‘What if my writing is self-indulgent?’
When I wrote my first book this was one of my fears, particularly as it included my own story. By being aware of it, I was able to avoid it. Keep your reader in mind. Whatever you write about needs to be of benefit to them and it needs to be clear. This will help you to decide whether to keep that idea or beautifully crafted sentence or to let it go.
‘I can’t write very well.’
Says who? A client of mine felt that despite writing regular blog posts that were well received. It turned out that a teacher had criticized her writing when she was 13 and she believed she would never be able to write a book. Remember the acronym for fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. Look at what you are doing now and this will help to release any negative beliefs.
‘I just can’t find the time to write.’
Can’t you?! This may be resistance in disguise. Or you may feel you should only be spending time on paid work. However, writing is a long-term investment in yourself and your business. Focus on that and then see where you can free up regular time-slots such as getting up an hour earlier or having a TV-free evening.
If you still feel overwhelmed by fear then think about a time when you were informed, inspired or simply entertained by a piece of writing. Now, imagine if that author had been too afraid to put their work out there. What then?!!
Leda Sammarco empowers spiritual entrepreneurs to write their first book. She works with authors in a partnership way to help them write their book and get it out into the world.
Click here for all posts by Leda Sammarco, writer’s coach.
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Your can never rid yourself completely of fear or doubt, you must learn to live with it, within it even. Just remember what Bob Dylan said ‘You’re better than no-one and no-one is better than you’.
That’s an interesting way of putting it, Elena – living ‘within it.’ I guess you need to be aware of what it is trying to tell you and then seeing if that is really true.
It’s the same with accounts. Deal with the fear first. The rest isn’t so bad.
So true..and often so hard to practise :-/
Yes, I agree with that. Fear can make it all seem so much worse or you can miss an easy solution that is right under your nose.
While a little bit of fear is good as it keeps you cautious; too much of it can stop you from living up to your true potential!
Thanks for sharing these points!
You’re welcome, Gaori. As you say, it’s about finding that balance – I guess fear is a good servant, but a bad master!